Glasshouse Journal

Q&A: Pansy Underwear

Ever feel like good looking, comfortable, ethically made underwear is the stuff of make believe? Luckily, it exists! Pansy is the brainchild of Cali girls Laura Schoorl and Rachel Corry - they make organic cotton underwear in the dreamiest of colours and the most simple, stylish shapes. Dyed without toxins and produced without sweatshops, Pansy is the epitome of feel-good underwear, sewn together in a factory 15 minutes down the road from the girl’s apartment.

We’re self-confessed Pansy converts, even featuring it in our Not Going Out shoot earlier in the year. So we thought it only right to catch up with the Pansy girls to talk ethics, elastic and California dreaming.

We’re a little bit in love with Pansy underwear. What made you both decide to launch a line of underwear in the first place?

So glad you love it. I couldn’t find any underwear I liked that was made in a way that I felt entirely good about.

What were the main things you thought were important when designing the pieces?

Comfort and aesthetics are everything. The best compliment I ever get from women who love Pansy is that they don’t feel like they are wearing underwear. We are so used to pulling and shifting and adjusting throughout the day that is it such a revelation to not have to.

Do you think there’s some things that the mainstream underwear market isn’t offering to modern girls at the moment?

Sustainably made clothing in general is not being offered. Also garments made by women for women.

As an organic salon, we love that you use organic cotton and zero sweatshops. How important is sustainability to you both in your business and personal life?

It’s everything. I live in California which has the highest standards in the world. I think about everything I put into and onto my body. I want to know whose hands touched each object and that they were paid well. I can’t help but care intensely about the impact I make on the world. We live on a planet of finite resources and I’m grateful for everything every day.

How would you describe the ultimate Pansy girl?

She just wants to feel good every day.

Your colour palette is relatively simple and well considered. How did you decide on what colours to use in the line?

It’s a lot of what is pretty to me and looks good on lots of skin tones. I’m inspired by all the colors I see in fruit, plants, and foods.

Is body image something you consider when shooting pictures for Pansy? We like the realistic body shapes in your lookbooks!

We usually take pictures of friends or friends of friends. I always want there to be diversity of bodies. I want our images to feel as inclusive as possible.

We’re big on looking after body and mind at Glasshouse. What do you do to unwind and look after yourselves?

I play soccer and tennis, go on hikes in the hills, hang out with friends, cook meals, bake treats, and watch lots of TV.

Tell us the best thing about living in California!

Everything. It’s the most beautiful place in the world. I’ve never lived anywhere else. I travel quite a bit and I’m always happy to come home. We have such a bounty of produce from small farms year long and such a diversity of cultures from around the world. It’s a wild west of endless possibilities.

Any future Pansy plans you can reveal to us?

Working on new sporty styles for the summer and a short film this month. So excited!